Conversations With A Ghost
by whitecrossgirl
Summary: Spoilers for 5x06. A year after the events in the Dark Tower, Gwen is once again kidnapped and held hostage by Morgana. This time however there is only one apparition of sorts and a life isn't being taken away. Rather the opposite in fact.


**AN: So I am still pretty damn annoyed at last night's episode. It seems like the writers are taking lessons from Steven Moffat regarding characters and how you build them up and kill them off. For me watching it was like; 'Hey this is great, we finally see Gwen and Elyan acting like siblings. Wait a minute, oh hell no they're going to do it aren't they?... Yes, they did.' and then I started venting. Afterward I had done most of my venting this idea came to me. **

The dungeon was absolutely silent and still. The hostage had barely moved since she had been placed in there; there were no sounds of water dripping or even any sort of noise slipping in from outside. For three days she had been locked in the dungeon clad only in a nightgown and for those three days she had barely moved or spoke. She moved only when her body grew stiff or to run her hands along her stomach in a vain attempt to stave off the growls of hunger. She only spoke to murmur songs from her childhood to offer herself some comfort. The prisoner shifted slightly so that she was lying on her side and began running her hands over her swollen stomach before letting out a wince of pain and climbing to her feet as a warm liquid seeped down her legs.

"No, not yet, not now, not today." Gwen whispered as she ran her fingers up her legs and came into contact with the fluid and sniffed it gingerly even though she already knew it wasn't urine. Gwen placed her hands on her stomach, rubbing it reassuringly. "No baby, Mama isn't ready to meet you yet. Just hold on,"

The rest of the sentence went unsaid. Hold on until they were freed. Hold on until the actual due date which was in three days' time. Hold on until tomorrow. The baby could come whenever he or she wanted to. Just not today. There was a reason why Gwen had been kidnapped exactly three days ago and there was a reason why she didn't want to give birth today. Today marked the first anniversary of losing Elyan in the Dark Tower and the pain of losing her brother still hurt and she missed him constantly along with the rest of her family. Their encounters with Morgana always intensified that feeling of loss, not just because she was reminded of how she lost Elyan but also the knowledge that while she lost her only sibling, Morgana was trying to kill hers. Even now Gwen and the baby were little more than tools for Morgana to use in order to lure Arthur and the knights to their deaths. At least this time Morgana was being her usual spiteful and evil self rather than that almost nice yet even more sinister Morgana who had locked her in the tower of mandrakes. Small comfort.

"What are you doing?"

Speak of the devil. Gwen looked up at Morgana and frowned. In the weeks following Elyan's death Gwen had made a vow to be stronger and never give Morgana the satisfaction of knowing how much all of her pains and attempts to hurt her actually worked. Especially when she found out she was pregnant and Morgana upped her attempts to kill her and her baby. Gwen had always been the stronger of the two mentally and emotionally and now she had to prove it.

"I'm sitting in a dank cold dungeon while my sister-in-law uses me and my unborn child to lure my husband and my friends to their deaths." Gwen replied, willing her body to stay in control. Morgana couldn't know she was in labour.

"Oh come now there's no need to be rude. I thought queens were expected to have manners, then again should one expect a commoner to know how to be queen?" Morgana retorted but petty insults like that meant nothing to Gwen anymore. For four years she had been queen, she had heard it all being both whispered behind her back and said to her face.

"The people of Camelot seem to prefer a commoner to an illegitimate and murderous witch. I really don't have any time for your games today." Gwen stated and Morgana's hand flexed as though she longed to reach through the bars and smack Gwen in the face. Instead she settled for a cruel smirk.

"Oh silly me, I had almost forgotten the date. Yes, poor Sir Elyan. It was your fault he died, I needed to protect you and the stupid fool just got in the way. Unnecessary really. Luckily I won't make the same mistake again when your precious Arthur comes to get you. You'll never know, maybe he'll say hello to Elyan for you." Morgana stated tauntingly as she watched for Gwen's reaction. The calm demeanour almost instantly cracked and Gwen was the one who stepped forward looking eager to attack her foe.

"How dare you speak about my brother like that? My brother was a brave, loyal and loving man whose life meant more to me than your pitiful existence ever did. And if you think for one second that Arthur or any of the others will die at your hand today then you really are a fool." Gwen claimed and despite her furious expression, her voice was calm and controlled. Morgana's smirk fell and was replaced by a fierce glare and she looked at Gwen as though she were something she'd stepped in.

"We'll see about that." Morgana hissed and she turned and stalked out of the dungeons, slamming the door behind her. As soon as the door slammed shut, Gwen grabbed onto the bars and winced as a wave of pain crashed over her. The baby was definitely on its way. This was not looking good; she was trapped in a dungeon by Morgana, she had no idea where Arthur was and there was absolutely nothing that could be done or used to make any of this easier. Gwen moved back against the wall and thought back to when she found out she was pregnant seven months ago.

"_Are you positive Gaius?" Gwen asked as she sat in the physician's quarters. Gaius nodded and squeezed her hand reassuringly. As the news sunk in, a smile began to spread over her face. She was pregnant, she was going to have a baby. Gwen began thinking about how she was going to tell Arthur. Gwen suspected that Merlin already knew because of his uncanny ability to know everything that was going on around him. They would have to tell the knights too, Leon and Percival and Gwaine and… _

"_Gaius, how long did you say I was pregnant?" Gwen asked and Gaius looked at her now sombre expression and rewound what he had said to her just moments beforehand. _

"_Seven weeks, two months at the most." Gaius replied as he did the maths in his head and worked out the approximate due date. Gwen nodded at him, confirming their shared suspicions._

"_The baby will be due around Elyan's anniversary." Gwen admitted as she pressed her hands over her still flat stomach. _

Gwen thought about how everyone had reacted to the news. She had told Arthur first then the others together. Each of the men had reacted in their own way. Merlin had yelled 'I knew it!' and punched the air. Gwaine had been the first to ask for the child to be named after him and be godfather. Percival had given her a massive bear hug. Leon too had hugged her and had been the one who told her that Elyan would have been so pleased for her. Arthur had fainted. Over the course of her pregnancy as the word spread about the queen expecting an heir they had had mixed reactions. The majority of people were thrilled and they had received messages of congratulations from everyone from the townspeople, to Hunith to Queen Annis, Princess Elena and her father, King Rodor and Mithian and even King Odin sent his well-wishes. However when Morgana had found out, they knew that she would simply try even harder to kill Gwen and as a result at least one of the knights or Arthur or Merlin had been with her at all times. At points it had been extremely overbearing to be unable to go anywhere by herself but at the same time Gwen knew why they were doing it. They were protecting her and her child as well as fulfilling a promise all of them had made to Elyan to keep her safe.

As Gwen sat lost in thought, she felt another contraction hit and she let out a gasp of pain before rubbing her stomach and began singing a lullaby from her childhood. Gwen managed to keep herself distracted by singing as more contractions hit her in waves. They seemed to be getting closer or was it just her imagination?

"You're very impatient aren't you? Your uncle was the same. Remember I told you about Uncle Elyan? Your uncle was the best brother anyone could have asked for but he had always had a problem with his patience. If he wanted to do something or go somewhere, he didn't wait around. He just did it anyway. You already remind me so much of him and I wish you could meet him. But you can't because your Aunt Morgana is a horrible, evil woman and she took him away." Gwen said. Not long after she had found out she was pregnant, Gwen had gotten into the habit of speaking to her child. She'd sing to it or it about what Arthur and the knights got up to on their latest adventure. One day she had began talking about Elyan, Tom and her childhood and once she started, she hadn't stopped until it was done.

Gwen continued massaging her bump and let out a cry of pain as another contraction hit. "It was actually a year ago today that Uncle Elyan was taken away and I still miss him so much. He was my brother, my first best friend and I know if he were here, he'd be making sure that you were the most loved and spoilt niece or nephew that ever existed. I love him baby, and I always will."

"Gwen,"

At the sound of her name Gwen froze. It couldn't be…

"Elyan?" Gwen whispered, hardly daring to look up. She knew there were no mandrakes in the dungeon. The second she had been locked in there two days ago she had checked every last inch to be certain. There were no mandrakes to mess with her mind this time so it couldn't be Elyan or some twisted vision of him. But that had definitely been his voice that had spoken. It must have been her imagination. All she wanted was to see him and so she must have imagined hearing his voice.

"Gwennie, it's me."

Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was the use of the nickname only he had ever used once she passed the age of ten. Maybe it was a way of allowing herself to have hope in the impossible. Whatever it was, Gwen slowly raised her head and looked at the figure in front of her. Elyan was standing in front of her; he looked exactly the same way he did when he died. He was still in his chainmail and cloak and there was a warm smile on his face. At the same time however, he was sort of translucent. It was like she was looking at him through one of the stained glass windows. No, it was like Elyan _was_ one of the stained glass windows, he was there but at the same time, Gwen could see right through him. It was like he was there but at the same time, he wasn't.

"What are you?" Gwen whispered. Was this another one of Morgana's cruel tricks? They all knew she had a fondness of summoning the un-dead in some form or another. What was this Elyan standing before her? It wasn't a Shade and it wasn't a Mandrake apparition.

"It's really me Gwen. I suppose you would call me a ghost. It's been a long year hasn't it?" The ghost of Elyan replied as he knelt in front of Gwen and she slowly reached out to touch him but her hand slipped right through him.

"You can't be here, you're dead." Gwen insisted as she shook her head and attempted to touch him again.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I've left. We've been watching over you, all of us. Me, Father, Mother, Queen Ygraine, even Uther and Lancelot sometimes would see what you're all up to. We're so proud and so happy for you both. That's why I'm here. You shouldn't be alone. Not now." Elyan reassured but Gwen still didn't look convinced. It all just seemed impossible. Yet he was right here. Maybe she was losing her mind again or was delirious from pain.

"You're not going mad. I can prove it's me, just ask me anything." Elyan offered and Gwen thought for a moment, trying to recall something that only she and Elyan had ever known and that nobody else had ever known about.

"When we were children, I took the blame for you when you ate half the apple pie Mother had made and I got sent to bed without dinner. The next day you felt bad and offered to let me order you to do anything to make up for what you did. What did I have you do?" Gwen tested. The events of that day had been one that they had spit-shake-sworn never to tell anyone else about. Not even their parents of friends had ever known what they had done that day.

Elyan's ghost smiled embarrassed as he recalled that day. "You made me wear one of your dresses and stuck a shawl over my head before we went for a walk about the town and you made me pretend I was your twin sister Elyanna."

A smile broke out over Gwen's face. "It is you." Gwen attempted to touch him but again her hand slipped straight through him.

"You can't touch me, I'm a ghost remember?" Elyan stated and Gwen let out another cry of pain as another contraction hit her. "Gwennie, I know it hurts but focus on me. You can do this; you always were the strong one even when we were younger. You raised me after Mother died and you can do the same for the baby."

"It hurts Elyan." Gwen claimed shaking her head. That was an understatement. It was an agony unlike any she had ever felt. Each contraction felt like she was being stabbed by a sword and the swordsman was twisting the sword before pulling it out and plunging it back in again. It was taking all of her self-control to not scream and alert Morgana to the fact she was in labour.

"I know it's painful but listen to me. If anyone can go through childbirth it's you. Just think about the baby, how it will feel to be a mother. The others are on their way I promise. Just be strong." Elyan reassured as he ran a translucent hand over Gwen's hair which was fast becoming slick with sweat as another contraction hit and this time she had to cry out as the pain seemed to intensify. They were getting closer together and it wouldn't be long until she would have to push.

"Is that why you're here, if I don't make it? Have you come to take me with you?" Gwen asked; the pain was too much and she didn't feel she would be able to withstand much more of it one way or the other.

"You're not going anywhere except back to Camelot with your husband and your child. I'm just here because you need me." Elyan reassured. It seemed poignant to him that the bridge between worlds was suspended long enough for him to return albeit in ghost form exactly when his sister was giving birth.

"Then you'll leave again?" Gwen asked and Elyan looked at her and nodded.

"I can't stay for long in this world." Elyan replied and tears swam in Gwen's eyes, tears that weren't connected to the pain she was in.

"I'm sorry Elyan. It was my fault. I had to go to Father's grave, I had to get captured, I had to be the one under Morgana's control and you were the one who paid the price for it. I'm so, so sorry." Gwen apologised. She wanted to reach out to him, hold him and hug him but she couldn't.

"It's not your fault. We both wanted to go to the grave but if it's anyone's fault then its Morgana's. You didn't ask for it to happen and believe me I didn't either. What's done is done but I would do it a million times over because you're my sister." Elyan stated honestly. Being dead allowed you to really think back on your life. What you had done, what you should have done, what you could have done; dying offered great lessons in perspective. "Besides I wasn't exactly the best brother to you over the years was I?"

"That's forgotten, you made your own choice to either leave and I honestly didn't expect you to leave Camelot with me. I just wish I could have done something to save you." Gwen stated as she thought back to last year and how she had been unable to do anything about the wound Elyan had sustained by the enchanted sword.

"There was nothing you could have done but it's all right. I'm fine now." Elyan claimed.

"You're dead." Gwen stated.

"Well yes but," Elyan was cut off by Gwen screaming as another contraction hit her.

"Make it stop, make it go away. I can't do this, I can't, I can't." Gwen gabbled repeatedly. This was too much. The pain was spreading all over her body like white hot fire, each contraction felt like her body was being ripped in two. It was getting too much, she couldn't keep doing this.

"Yes you can." Elyan insisted. "You always were stronger than us Gwen. Think about all you've been through in your live, all the times you almost died, all the hurt and heartbreak you've endured, all the people you've lost but you're still here. You're still fighting, you still forgave and loved us even though we hurt and abandoned you. Morgana may have magic, the others are trained warriors but you really are the strongest of us all. Every time you get knocked or put down, you always get back up and continue on. That's your strength, your love is your strength, now use it."

Before Gwen could answer the dungeon door opened and Morgana appeared in front of her cell. Elyan moved back into the shadows but Morgana was solely focused on her hostage. Gwen was still breathing deeply, was bathed in sweat and tears however she managed to try and stay calm in front of Morgana.

"What are you screaming about?" Morgana asked and Gwen did some quick thinking.

"I was sleeping and I had a nightmare." Gwen lied, praying that her body wouldn't betray her by having another contraction. Morgana looked at her sceptically. Did Gwen honestly think she was stupid? Morgana knew the difference between screams of fear and screams of agony. Yet before either of them could say or do anything, Morgana turned suddenly and hurried out the door as though she had been summoned. As soon as she'd gone, Elyan moved back out of the shadows and towards Gwen with a smile.

"I told you the others would be coming for you." Elyan claimed and with the dungeon door open, they could hear the distant sounds of swords clashing as well as running footsteps. "I won't be able to stay much longer."

"What? No you can't leave me, not again." Gwen insisted. Elyan shook his head.

"I have to go but remember what I said. What happened wasn't your fault and you are stronger than any of us." Elyan claimed as the footsteps got louder and approached. They looked at the door and looked at each other.

"I love you," Gwen said and Elyan pressed a kiss to her forehead but all Gwen could feel was the barest brush on her forehead.

"I love you too Gwennie. I'm always going to be with you, you mightn't see me but I'll be there." Elyan promised.

"Goodbye Elyan," Gwen whispered as Gwaine and Percival entered the dungeon with their swords drawn and calling her name.

Elyan smiled at Gwen and slowly began fading from sight. "Bye Gwennie."

"Gwen! Are you alright?" Gwaine said as he and Percival broke open the dungeon door by using their swords to smash off the lock. Gwen attempted to answer but was cut off by another contraction which was coupled with the urge to push. In an instant both men were at her side in the dungeon. While Gwaine had no idea of what to do, Percival had been the eldest of nine and had been there when his siblings were born. It had been many years ago but he still vividly remembered watching his brothers and sisters being born.

"Gwen, you need to raise your knees slightly and move them apart. Gwaine, get between her legs and use your cloak to wrap the child." Percival instructed. With no time to argue, Gwaine tore off his cloak as Gwen raised her knees and waited on the next contraction.

"You know this wasn't what I had in mind for our first night together." Gwaine quipped and Gwen smiled before another contraction hit. This time she knew she had to start pushing and bore down. She could feel the baby moving and that was proven as Gwaine claimed to see movement. Within minutes Gwen felt the urge to push again and Arthur, Merlin and Leon appeared in time to hear Gwaine claiming that he could see the head. In seconds Arthur was holding Gwen's hand while Merlin helped Gwaine while Leon and Percival kept her back supported. Gwen screamed and the men all shouted encouragement as with another push the baby's shoulder appeared. This was followed by the torso and the legs before the afterbirth appeared.

"Has anyone got a knife?" Merlin asked as Gwaine wrapped the child in his cloak. Leon handed over his dagger and Merlin rubbed it on his scarf before cutting through the cord and a loud resounding cry pierced through the dungeon. Merlin beamed as he handed the cloaked bundle to Arthur and Gwen.

"It's a girl." Merlin said and Arthur felt tears in his own eyes as he kissed Gwen and they looked down at their crying child. For being born in a dungeon in a ruined old castle, she was absolutely perfect. Her skin was a light brown and there was a tuft of dark hair on her head. Arthur looked at Gwen and handed her the baby. Gwen gently soothed her daughter and Arthur looked at her. They hadn't fully decided on names and he was going to suggest Elyan had it been a boy. Yet they had a girl, a perfect, beautiful baby girl.

"What do you want to call her?" Arthur asked and Gwen looked at her daughter before looking at the knights and gave a wan smile. She knew exactly what she was going to name her daughter and in her mind she had known from the moment she had worked out the due date all those months ago. There was only one name her child would have been given.

"Elyanna, her name's Elyanna." Gwen said and the knights, Merlin and Arthur looked at one another before smiling. Elyanna Pendragon, it was perfect.


End file.
